June 30, 2008

Angelo Lapadula, who died at age 91 on Friday, always had a smile.A West End institution and one of the most active Democrats in town for longer than anyone in the party can remember, Lapadula’s death marks “the end of an era,” as former Water Board Chairman Joel Wulff put it on Monday.“He’ll always be remembered,” former Mayor Frank Nicastro said. “There should be more like him.”The longtime Park Street resident served the city for more than 40 years, including long stints as a water commissioner and the sealer of weights and measures.“Angelo epitomized citizen involvement,” said Mayor Art Ward, who praised Lapadula for his activism in the community in many areas.“He set an example for everybody,” Ward said, with his mild demeanor and his willingness to work hard without bothering who got the credit.“Angelo always dwelt on the positive,” Wulff said. “If he saw something that was wrong, he took action to correct it.”“If he saw a political beginner being led astray, he would quietly take steps to meet with the victim and offer his insight,” said Wulff, a Republican. “He didn’t do it for the glory. He did it because it was the right thing to do.Nicastro, who knew Lapadula for more than 60 years, said “Angelo was like a second father to me.”“I’ll really miss him,” Nicastro said. “He was always there for me.”Nicastro said that in one of his early mayoral runs, Lapadula made 3,000 meatballs for a pasta fundraiser. He said that he couldn’t believe it, but it turned out that they were needed to serve the 1,295 people who turned out.Lapadula was long one of the most active Democrats in town and his party named their top annual honor for service to the city party after him.Wulff said that Lapadula “was a Democrat, but he was an American first” – and he didn’t let politics get in the way of good government.Bob Badal, the current Water Board chairman, said that Lapadula was “a very decent man” who always “brought people together.”He sad that Lapadula was extremely conscientious about fulfilling his duty as a water commissioner, once showing up in golf spikes on an icy winter night so that he wouldn’t slip on the treacherous walkways. “As we mourn his death and try to offer sympathy to his family in their very personal and immediate loss, the best we can do is to salute his life and give thanks for having known him and been touched by his soul,” Wulff said.Ward said that Lapadula, who was buried Monday, was “completely dedicated to his family, especially his wife, Fanny.”“ If anyone is looking for a role model for life, Angelo was the man,” Wulff said.

At a special meeting that lasted less than a minute Monday, city councilors unanimously endorsed Mayor Art Ward’s choice to fill a vacant seat on the nine-member Board of Finance.Paul Tonon got the nod for a four-year term to fill the seat that’s been held by Don Soucy in recent years.Ward said that he tapped Tonon, whom he has only met a few times, on the strength of a resume the businessman sent him months ago.Tonon is employed by Premier Logistics Service in Bristol and previously worked for IBM and Texaco. He is also the former owner of Northeast Distribution in Bristol, a shipping company.Tonon, a Boston College graduate, is married with two children.Ward sent an email out to the council last week telling them that he was thinking of appointing former finance commissioner Robert Dunlap to take Soucy’s place.Dunlap, a fiscal conservative during his stint on the finance board, is Ward's former campaign treasurer.But the council reacted with skepticism so Ward opted to back Tonon instead.The finance board, whose members are volunteers, oversees the city’s spending and borrowing.Traditionally adverse to spending much, the panel has been more willing during recent years to back bigger budgets and more projects than in decades past.Soucy was a champion for education spending, which has garnered more support lately than in the past, so insiders are keen to see how Tonon lines up when the votes are counted on tough issues in the months ahead.

Angelo Lapadula, who served the Bristol community for decades with a smile for everyone, is dead.The longtime West End resident served the city for more than 40 years, including long stints as a water commissioner and the sealer of weights and measures.Lapadula, 91, was long one of the most active Democrats in town and his party named their top annual honor for service to the city party after him.Mayor Art Ward called him "a fine individual" this morning.Joel Wulff, former chairman of the Water Board, wrote a nice tribute to him today:

The passing of Angelo Lapadula is the end of an era. I had the good fortune to know him as a friend and mentor for a quarter of a century. That made me a newcomer! I first met him when I joined the Board of Water Commissioners. I soon learned that he and my father had played ball together decades before.

Angelo always dwelt on the positive. If he saw something that was wrong, he took action to correct it. If he saw a political beginner being led astray, he would quietly take steps to meet with the victim and offer his insight. Only if you knew about it, could you understand what had prompted the change. He didn’t do it for the glory. He did it because it was the right thing to do.

Angelo was a Democrat, but he was an American first. He worked hard for his party. He made meatballs by the thousands for their fund raisers. He would joke about it at Water Board meetings. If anything upset him, it was when party dinners came up in conflict with Board meetings. The Board always took preference, and politics stopped when he took his seat at a meeting.

In this sad time, we must all give thanks for his life and labors. He leaves behind a loving family and a larger community that benefited from his service. If anyone is looking for a role model for life, Angelo was the man. As we mourn his death and try to offer sympathy to his family in their very personal and immediate loss, the best we can do is to salute his life and give thanks for having known him and been touched by his soul.

I will likely write something up for the newspaper about Angelo so if anyone reading this would like to comment for a story, please drop me a line at scollins@bristolpress.com. Be sure to identify yourself and, if I don't know you, give me a phone number so I can check with you.

Here's the obituary for Angelo:

Angelo D. LapadulaAngelo D. Lapadula, 91, of Bristol, husband of Fanny (Chmieleski) Lapadula, died Friday, June 27, 2008, at Bristol Hospital. Angelo was born in Bristol April 13, 1917, and was a son of the late Giloramo and Rocchina (Fiore) Lapadula. He resided in Bristol all his life and before retiring he was employed at Pratt & Whitney Aircraft, Southington. He was a member of St. Anthony Church and was a former member of the Terryville Knights of Columbus. Angelo was very active in the Bristol Democratic Party for many years, was a Water Board commissioner for the city of Bristol for several years and he also served as sealer of weights and measures for the city of Bristol. He enjoyed sports, especially baseball, and was the biggest Yankee fan ever. In addition to his wife, Angelo is survived by a son and daughter-in-law, Michael and Adele Lapadula of San Diego, Calif.; two daughters and sons-in-law, Jeri and Thomas LaPorte of Bristol, and Cynthia and Albert Feliu of Lilburn, Ga.; seven grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by two brothers, John and Michael Lapadula; and two sisters, Mildred Ferraro and Antoinette English. A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated Monday, June 30, 2008, 11 a.m., at St. Anthony Church, Bristol. Burial will follow in St. Joseph Cemetery, Bristol. Relatives and friends may call at Funk Funeral Home, 35 Bellevue Ave., Bristol, Monday from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to a charity of the donor’s choice. Online guest book is available atwww.funkfuneralhome.com

June 28, 2008

The Greater Bristol Visiting Nurse Association called a last-minute $70,000 cut in the contribution it receives from the city “grossly disturbing” and likely to create “a devastating effect” on patients it serves.The city’s decision “to just about wipe away our current allocation” after half a century of support will have “grave consequences” for the poor people the money has long helped the nursing group serve, said Anne Dolson, the association’s president.Dolson said the century-old nonprofit already faces a deficit this year of as much as $50,000 and can’t afford to continue providing services to the indigent if the city’s donation drops to just $100.Though the group pleaded for the city to restore the funding, Mayor Art Ward said he’s “not sure that we can” reverse the decision now that the budget for the coming fiscal year is finished.“We’ll take it under advisement,” said Roald Erling, vice chairman of the city’s Board of Finance.The nursing group said it plans to tell patients and the community about the cuts in the hope of creating a groundswell of support that will convince political leaders to find the cash needed to pay for well-child clinics, nursing visits for chronically ill but poor elderly patients and others.“We can’t do it without your help,” said Maryellen Frele, the acting chief operating officer of the association.City officials said that in their quest to lower the mill rate, they drastically cut the VNA because it possesses a $1.5 million reserve fund, enough to allow it to cope with a one-year decrease by City Hall.But the association’s leaders said the money in its rainy day fund is badly needed so it can deal with changes in the medical field, including greater use of costly technology.Tapping the cash, said Frele, “would be fiscally irresponsible of us.”As it is, she said, the group provided $194,000 worth of care to people who could not pay last year and expects to lose $280,000 on care for the poor this year.“Our current community is really suffering,” Frele said, and the need for free and reduced cost care has never been higher.The nursing association said there are three groups of city residents who will get clobbered if the city money isn’t restored: elderly patients with limited incomes, mentally ill patients who lack insurance and in-home care for mothers with newborns and children of the poor who need immunizations.Frele said there is a growing need to care for mentally ill people in their homes to make sure they get their medicine. Without that care, she said, some will turn to crime and wind up in prison, costing society far more than the nursing care they need.The group said it also hopes to have more well-child clinics to help families that fall through the insurance cracks get the medical attention that children require, including immunization for potentially deadly diseases. There have been four clinics this year. Ten are needed next year, the group said.There are at least 11 patients in Bristol who have been receiving free nursing in their homes for more than five years, the association said.Disrupting their care will “most likely precipitate an inpatient hospitalization for the chronically ill elderly,” Dolson said in a letter, which basically shifts the expense from the city to Bristol Hospital.It isn’t clear what options the nonprofit has to pressure the city to increase aid, but it’s possible that association officials may try to convince city councilors to take action to help.

June 27, 2008

Dale Clift, the city attorney, ruled today in this opinion, that those gathering signatures to force a referendum on the chief operating officer proposal have the full 45 days to turn in petitions. That helps give the organizers time to scrape together than 3,100 or so signatures they need.City Councilor Ken Cockayne, one of those pushing the referendum, said he is "very happy at the thoroughness" and speed with which Clift issued a ruling on the matter. He is also, of course, content with the decision.Organizers had worried they had to turn in the petitions early enough to have them certified within the 45-day period.

Mayor Art Ward decided Friday that he plans to name Paul Tonon to fill a vacant seat on the city's Board of Finance.Tonon is a Boston College graduate, married with two children.he worked for Premier Logistics Service in Bristol and previously worked for IBM and Texaco. He is also the former owner of Northeast Distribution in Bristol, a shipping company.Tonon would take the finance board seat that has been held by Don Soucy, whom the mayor chose not to reappoint.There's a special council session slated for 5 p.m. Monday to vote on Ward's pick for the fisal panel.

Note sent out by former GOP mayoral contender Ken Johnson a few minutes ago:

Dear Friends:This Saturday, June 28, we continue the petition drive to get the City Manager question onto the November ballot. We got off to a great start last week. Thank you for coming down to Sovereign Bank and supporting our effort! We are well on our way to collecting the 3,100+ signatures we need to put this question on the ballot.On Saturday, we will be collecting signatures in front of the Forestville Stop & Shop from 11:00am – 5:00pm and…We need more volunteers!Look at the schedule below. Please write back or call me and let me know if you can work a two-hour time slot.

The city is likely to raise the cost of writing it a bad check soon.Since 1991, the city has tacked on a $15 charge for anyone who writes a check that is returned by the bank for any reason.But Mildred Parks, the city’s tax collector, said the fee doesn’t come close to covering the cost of paying for employees’ time in dealing with a bad check.She urged the city’s Ordinance Committee to raise the fee to $25 or more to bring it more in line with what banks charge customers for bad checks these days.City Councilor Mike Rimcoski said that people should be careful about writing checks that won’t go through.He said that writing a check that doesn’t clear could cost someone $25 from the city and at least that much from his own bank, which adds up to some real money.Parks said it’s also illegal to write a bad check.Even so, the tax office sees 10 to 20 returned checks each week during its busy periods, Parks said.“We have a lot of checks,” she said.Once somebody bounces a check, Parks said, they’re told to bring cash or a bank check the next time they come in.But some still send in another regular check by mail, which is processed, Parks said.The tax office isn’t the only city department that takes in a lot of checks, officials said.The city clerk, public works and the building office also take in large numbers of checks, some of which turn out to be no good.The ordinance panel plans a public hearing on the proposed change as soon as July 23. It needs City Council approval before the fee can be hiked.

Letter from former city Councilor and Republican mayoral candidate Whit Betts:How can I hire the union to represent me in keeping my premium to under$100 a month for a family medical plan? The remaining expense for the health care premium - $1,523 – is paid for by Bristol’s taxpayers. My question to your readers is –do you work for any employer that pays 95% of your health care premium for a family medical plan ? If you do please let the Press readers know so we can apply for a job.

This contract is a clear example of how huge and unfair the disparity in health care benefits are between public employees and employees in the private sector. What can “we” the taxpayers do to get stronger and better representation in contract negotiations with public employees?

Here’s one idea. How about the city submit the health care terms of negotiated contracts to a referendum vote by taxpayers? Under the current system it is clear that our elected officials are unable to help taxpayers get a fair deal so why not let the people who foot 95% of the health care bill have a chance to approve or reject the contract ? If taxpayers agree with the terms then it will approve the contracts for which we are being asked to pay. If we reject the proposed contract then representatives go back to the bargaining table and come back to the taxpayers with a different proposal.

Anyone else have a better idea on how to help taxpayers ? Or am I the only person who feels that taxpayers are overtaxed during these tough economic times?

June 26, 2008

Friday marks the last day at The Bristol Press for Amy Talit, who has had the Bristol police and courts beat for the paper since October 2004. Amy is moving on to pursue other opportunities.There's no word on a successor yet.

Mayor Art Ward sent an email out to the City Council saying that he's thinking about appointing former Board of Finance member Robert Dunlap to the panel to take the place of Republican Don Soucy.Dunlap, a fiscal conservative during his stint on the finance board, is Ward's former campaign treasurer.What's unusual about the choice is that by law Ward can only appoint an independent or Republican to the board this time around.Dunlap was apparently a registered Democrat until he switched his voter registration this week to unaffiliated, making him eligible for the appointment.Councilors on both sides of the aisle are concerned. It's not yet clear whether Ward will try to push through the nomination or not.

Dog owners will face $25 fines if they fail to clean up after their pets under a new city law slated for passage next month.The city’s Ordinance Committee this week agreed to recommend that city councilors adopt the new law in order to force dog owners to scoop the poop whenever they walk their animals on public or private property that doesn’t belong to them.The proposed law would force owners to possess a container or bag at all times “to pick up the doings of the dog,” said Dale Clift, the city attorney.Clift said that instead of simply mandating that dog owners clean up after their pets – which can be hard to prove unless police officers catch the dog and its owner in the act of leaving the scene of the crime – the language also requires that owners possess something that shows they plan to do their civic duty.After all, Clift said, someone lacking a means to scoop the poop “is not going to pick up after the dog.”The existing law in Bristol requires owners to pick up after their pet on school or park property, but that’s it. There’s not even a leash law in town, though pets are supposed to be “under the control” of owners at all times.Ignoring the pooper scooper laws in the parks and on school property, imposed in 1995, can lead to $90 fines.The city considered extending its poop-scooping law to include the property along sidewalks a decade ago, but dropped the idea because councilors thought the problem was minimal and enforcement unlikely.There are more than 2,500 registered dogs in the city, with hundreds more unlicensed.The City Council will likely take up the issue at its July 9 meeting. If the ordinance is approved, it would probably take effect about August 1.

Those gathering petitions to force a referendum on the chief operating officer proposal may have less time than they figured.Though the law says they have 45 days from the time the City Council gave its final rejection to the idea to gather the more than 3,000 signatures needed, it isn’t clear whether that means they can turn in the petitions on the last day or if the names have to be certified by the city clerk within 45 days.Dale Clift, the city attorney, said he’s not taking a position on the question unless he’s asked to provide a legal opinion on the issue.But organizers of the petition drive that began last week are concerned they have may have as few as 35 days to get the petitions filed in order to give City Clerk Therese Pac time to check them over within the statutory deadline.“Games are being played already at City Hall,” said rookie Republican city Councilor Ken Cockayne, one of the leaders of the petition drive.Cockayne said he asked Clift on Friday for a formal opinion on the petition deadline issue.But veteran Democratic Councilor Craig Minor said he’s not worried about it.Minor, who teamed up with Cockayne to push the proposal that the council rejected, said he believes the needed petitions will be filed in plenty of time so that the question of the final deadline is moot.Minor said that if everyone who took out petitions manages to get them filled in and returned, more than 2,000 signatures are already in the works.Cockayne also said that the petition drive is going well.But, he said, “I want my full 45 days.”The Charter Revision Commission, which recently completed its work, recommended the city create a chief operating officer post to handle administrative oversight and provide long-term planning.Supporters of the position said it would bring greater efficiency to City Hall and save taxpayers money in the long run.But Mayor Art Ward and four of the six city councilors rejected the idea. They said it wouldn’t help or it would cost too much money.If the council had approved it, the public would have the final say on the proposed charter change. It would have been on the November 4 ballot.If the petition drive succeeds, voters will still get the chance to have the last word.Cockayne said the petition drive is going well because “I’ve found people are upset that this wasn’t put on the ballot.”He said many people who don’t necessarily agree with the concept nonetheless “felt very strongly that people should be able to vote on this.”

Layoffs and the upcoming reduction in news at The Hartford Courant showcase once again the continuing collapse of the American newspaper.It's particularly sad to see it happening at the nation's oldest continuously published paper, a claim that may not last even another decade at the rate papers are shrinking.Obviously, I don't have the answer for reversing the trend, but I hope that a way is found to keep papers from becoming historical relics, not because they give me a job (at least for now), but because I love newspapers. I always have.And it makes me queasy to learn dozens of talented journalists in Hartford will join the long line of reporters and editors across the country who have already been sacrificed in the vain pursuit of profit by those who don't understand that giving people less and less is no way to make newspapers relevant again.Paring the news and reducing the ranks is not going to win over new readers. It just hastens our collective demise.

We told you earlier this month that we would be making significant reductions in staff and newshole to meet economic realities. I'm writing now to give you the numbers and tell you how we will proceed.

Our news pages will go from 273 to 206 per week. Positions will go from 232 to about 175. Four of those 232 positions are now vacant.

Perhaps these are the numbers you were expecting. Perhaps they are a shock. I have had a little time to wrap my head around them; many of you will need to do that too. They will be life-changing for some, and they add a sober reality for all as we continue to remake the paper for a September launch.

The staff reductions will be handled as follows:

We are offering voluntary buyouts to everyone in News except the web staff. We will accept or reject applications based on the anticipated needs of the new paper. We will not use seniority as a criterion as we have in the past. People seeking a buyout will have until July 9 to apply to Human Resources, as explained in packets being distributed today.

In addition to buyouts, we expect that layoffs will be necessary to meet our reduction target, and they too will be based on the needs we foresee for our redesigned paper.

Most people will leave by the end of July. There may be a few exceptions for production-critical jobs. The page reductions will come in September.

The packages will be the same as last time, including an enhanced pension benefit paid in the form of a contribution to your cash balance account. The payment will be based on one week of pay for every six months of service, capped at 52 weeks of pay, plus 3%. Health benefits will be continued, and the company will pay for career planning services. HR staff members are available to talk with you about your specific situation. The package is the same for buyout and layoff.

The Courant, Tribune and newspapers across the country are responding to fundamental changes in our business, especially a significant decline in advertising revenue. The cuts we're talking about today are among a number of moves we are making in the face of those changes. Multiple initiatives are underway to bring in more print revenue and maximize the potential of online. For example, about two hundred potential online advertisers attended an information session yesterday. These movesare all necessary for this paper to sustain itself, pay down debt and invest in the future.

For some, the decision about whether to seek a buyout will depend on knowing how The Courant will change. Our vision for the new paper will be clearer, but not fully formed by July 9. We will let you know as much as possible before then. Bobbie's note on Monday was the first step in that communication.

In general, we plan to build a more compact paper for weekdays, when readers are pressed for time. We will present information in short form whenever feasible and go in-depth for the most important, relevant stories. On Sunday, when many people spend more time reading, the paper will stay about the same size it is today. Daily and Sunday, we will add new content and new approaches. There will also be takeaways, and we will be as smart as we can about making them. The paper will be completely redesigned. We will fully integrate print and online, and increase interactivity with readers.

Re-inventing a newspaper is a huge undertaking under the best of circumstances. Doing it with significantly reduced resources in a tight timeframe is even more challenging. Now, we must forge ahead with that work while we make the tough decisions about who will go and who will stay.

Those who remain will still be by far the largest news staff in Connecticut, and comparable in size to many papers of our circulation volume across the country. We will continue to be - we must continue to be -- a journalistic force. Our readers deserve that. That has been true for 243 years, and never more so than now.

Thanks for your smart, suprising, funny, imaginative ideas for the "new" weekday paper, pending a substantial cut in space and staff. As we deadline types well know, there's nothing like extreme pressure to clarify the mind -- hence the deluge of good, even great, ideas. I have yet to settle on content specifics, but your input has helped inform my first run at how the paper will be sectioned. I presented this to advertising, production and circulation veeps this morning. I'll be hearing back from them later in the week, as I'm sure I'll be hearing from you.

The basic weekday architecture consists of three broadsheet sections (exceptions on Monday, when comics/puzzles roll into Sports; and Saturday, when features and Sports merge into an outdoors-themed hybrid). The three basic sections are:

CT/NEWSFrontload the A section with Connecticut news, including facing pages on A2 and A3 to showcase what distinguishes the Courant from all other media outlets -- the scope, breadth and depth of our state and local coverage. (Eliminate freestanding Connecticut section.)

Include strategically chosen, consumer-focused economic and business news in the A section, boldly labeled. (Eliminate freestanding Biz section. Stock tables to web.)

Include nation/world pages, In Brief and In Depth, in back of section.

Eliminate Monday Life (puzzles, etc., fold into back of sports), eliminate Thursday and Friday Life (Flavor, At Home morph into main features sections), Saturday Life merges with outdoors-themed Sports section.

Keep Cal.

CT/SPORTSMaintain weekday Sports section, showcasing Connecticut-centric enterprise and reducing newshole by moving much of the agate and national coverage online, with bold web refers in print. Eliminate most, or all, special sections; roll them into daily sections.

Okay, that's the gist. I await the fallout, as I press forward with more specifics on page counts, color positions and specific content that will make this smaller, smarter paper an interesting weekday read. I'll keep you posted as a final draft takes shape and we move on to a page-by-page redesign.

For the first time, city police officers will be subject to random drug testing under the newly approved union contract.Mayor Art Ward said that drug testing is “a part of just about every contract” nowadays and shouldn’t be taken as an indication that the city has any concerns about drug use by officers.“We thought it was a good opportunity to get the language in there,” said Personnel Director Diane Ferguson. She said the police union didn’t have a problem with adding it.The provision calls for “no more than 25” tests per year for employees randomly picked by lottery by the chief in the presence of a union leader.Those picked for urine testing will be tested during the first available shift within 48 hours of their selection, the contract provides.The contract spells out allowable limits for everything from marijuana to methadone, including anabolic steroids and a number of other drugs.City Councilor Ken Cockayne, who opposed the contract, said he believes the standards are not tough enough because they allow officers to have a minimal amount of some drugs in their urine without getting into hot water.“I believe there should be zero tolerance,” Cockayne said.The contract allows employees who admit to drug-related misconduct to seek rehabilitation once without discipline as long as they come forward before they are selected for tests.

A new four-year pact between the city and the police union provides a 13.9 percent raise to more than 100 police officers.But one city councilor opposed the agreement because it doesn’t ask officers to pay enough for their health care.“Everything was negotiated in good faith,” said Mayor Art Ward. He said both the city and the union had to give up items they wanted during negotiations.Ward called the pact “a good compromise” that benefits taxpayers and the union.The retroactive deal gives a 3-percent raise for 2007, 3.25-percent for 2008 and 3.5-percent in each of the final two years of the contract.The contract also increases the share of health insurance costs paid by officers from the current 5 percent to 8.5 percent by 2010. That’s the highest figure that any city union outside the school system has yet agreed to cough up.There’s no change in the existing pension provisions, Personnel Director Diane Ferguson said.Five of the six city councilors backed the agreement, with only rookie Republican Ken Cockayne voting against it.Cockayne said Wednesday that he didn’t have a problem with the pay hikes, but wanted a three-year agreement and a better deal for taxpayers on employee health care.But Ward said the salary increases “are very comparable to communities that we’re basically competing with as far as retention of accredited police officers.“It brings us up to being competitive,” Ward said.The risk of paying less than the going rate is that the city will train new officers so they can become accredited and then they’ll leave for jobs elsewhere.Cockayne said he wants city employees to pay at least 10 percent of the cost for their health insurance, along with higher co-pays for doctor and hospital visits.As it is, police officers currently pay $66.44 each month as their share of a family medical plan. The city pays $1,377 more, Cockayne said.Starting next month, officers with a family plan will pay $96.92 a month while the city will pay $1,523 monthly to cover the rest of the expense.What that means, Cockayne said, is that every year, taxpayers are paying a much greater share of the rising health care tab than employees are.“This was a huge deciding factor for me in voting no,” said Cockayne.For the entire police department, employees pay $9,360 a month for their health insurance, Cockayne said. The city pays more than $150,000.“That is why we can’t balance the budget,” he said.Besides that, he said, the city’s plan is far more lucrative than anything the private sector has seen in years.“It is not the Cadillac of health plans, it is the Ferrari of health plans,” Cockayne said.Cockayne said his vote against the contract is not a reflection of any unhappiness with the job that officers do on the streets. He said the city has an excellent police force.But, he said, taxpayers need a break.The contract also sets an educational standard for those seeking to become sergeants and lieutenants for the first time. Starting in 2014, anyone wanting to become a sergeant needs to have at least an associate’s degree. Those seeking to become lieutenants will need a bachelor’s degree.The city pays for college courses for police officers looking to earn a degree.A three-year union pact reached last year between the city and 54 members of the Bristol Professionals and Supervisors Association delivered a 9.3 percent pay hike and required workers to cough up a 7.5 percent co-payment for their medical and dental insurance coverage, at the time the highest among the city’s municipal unions.Two unions, representing the workers at City Hall and at public works, pay nothing at all toward their insurance tab. A new round of negotiations with them is set to begin soon.The fire union is still negotiating a new agreement, Ward said. Ferguson said it’s in arbitration now.

Mayor Art Ward said he's tentatively scheduled a City Council special meeting for 5 p.m. Monday to consider his choice to fill a Board of Finance seat that Republican Don Soucy has held in recent years.I'm not yet sure who Ward plans to nominate.

The state may pick up more than $30,000 worth of maintenance costs for the city’s two libraries.Library Director Francine Petosa said that a state program for “distressed communities” will pay for a third of the cost for expanding existing library space or maintaining libraries.With several major repairs needed at the Manross branch in Forestville that will total about $100,000, the city’s Board of Finance agreed this week to try to secure state help for the projects.The most pressing need is to fix a leaking roof at Manross that is currently covered with a tarp, officials said.With a 21-year-old roof on the building, the repair is only buying time for the city to replace the entire roof, officials said, but there’s no choice about doing it.“The need is still going to exist” whether the city tries to snag state cash to help or not, Mayor Art Ward said.Petosa said there isn’t any danger that the leak will damage books or other materials, but she said she is concerned that other problems could develop that might pose a threat.The complication with seeking state aid is that project may be delayed into the second half of next year, officials said, in order to line up the required approvals from the State Library and the State Bond Commission.The roof, at least, may have to be dealt with sooner than that.But the other two projects at Manross – resurfacing the lower parking lot and retrofitting three parking lot lights – can wait for a green light from the state, Petosa said.Petosa has to apply for the maintenance money by August 29. The city should hear in November whether the State Library agrees to pay a portion of the cost.If the state backs the spending, the city would include its share in the next municipal budget so that it can be done after July 1, 2009, which allows time for the bond commission to take action as well.

Here's the letter from Mayor Art Ward to taxpayers that's going out with the city's property tax bills this month:

Greetings:As residents and taxpayers, we are all aware of the present economic conditions nationally, statewide and locally. The effect of these conditions has a direct impact on the ability of City government to deliver the same degree of services to the taxpayer as have been rendered in the past. Accordingly, this administration has attempted to address this obligation in a responsible manner and with the best interests of the community at hand.In addition to just completing property revaluation, both you individually, along with City government, have also incurred increased costs associated with energy, food, health care and numerous other essentials of everyday life. We have tried to consider all of these factors in adopting this year’s budget and will steadfastly attempt to control all municipal spending. Additionally, we will monitor all costs in order to ease the tax burden for each of us for the next fiscal year.In order to accomplish this task, I have asked Department Heads for their suggestions to reduce costs and promote efficiencies throughout City Hall. I have also placed suggestion boxes for employees to submit their thoughts about implementing cost savings. I anticipate through these suggestions, some of which have already taken effect, the City will find some creative and cost effective ways to provide services you are accustomed to receiving. Furthermore, I have issued a directive that overtime must be approved by me unless it relates directly to the safety of the citizens of Bristol.On a more positive note, the City financials continue to be strong. Our reserve fund is healthy, our outstanding debt is modest, and our tax collection rates continue to be strong. Future tax collections may be impacted by the downturn in the economy, but I have no doubt, through strong management, increased efficiencies and cost reductions, we will prevail through these difficult times.Sincerely,Mayor Arthur J. Ward

The New York Times has a story today about efforts in Michigan and elsewhere to help keep students from switching schools all the time by assisting their parents with rent. It's an idea that might benefit Bristol and other urban Connecticut districts as well, where the disruption of changing schools is undermining efforts to educate students who already have the odds stacked against them.

Though Ezebius Joseph Kawiecki returned home to Bristol from World War II, his dog tags didn’t.But it appears that more than 60 years after the metal identification card was left behind on a South Pacific island, it may soon be headed home to Connecticut.After a story appeared in Tuesday’s Bristol Press, the long-dead soldier’s son and nephew each contacted the paper, filling in the details of Kawiecki’s post-war life.Harwinton resident Charles Kawiecki, the soldier’s son, said his father never said much about the war.“He made it back and had a family,” his son said. “I don’t know a whole lot about his actual experiences.”Kawiecki served in the South Pacific and got a Purple Heart, his son said.But nephew Ron Kawiecki said he heard at least one war story from another soldier in his uncle’s unit.While fighting in the Pacific against the Japanese, Kawiecki shared a foxhole with a lieutenant, his nephew recalled hearing, when an enemy soldier leaped in, swinging a sword.The lieutenant died and Kawiecki wound up with cuts to his neck and a finger during the struggle. But the Bristol man managed to kill the Japanese soldier with a jackknife, Ron Kawiecki said.Charles Kawiecki said the story fits with what little he knows.He said his father had injured his left pinkie and “could never really bend it all the way” because of some kind of hand-to-hand fighting in the war.Ron Kawiecki said he remembers hearing that his uncle fought in a ski patrol against the Germans as well as serving in the Pacific Theater.An Australian man, Harry Jas, said that Kawiecki’s dog tags were found on the island of New Georgia in the Solomon Islands.During the summer of 1943, Connecticut troops from Kawiecki’s unit were among those who landed on the Japanese-held island in a bid to take two major enemy bases. It took six weeks of hard fighting, but American forces succeeded in taking their objectives.Jas said he’s trying to track down relatives or veterans of the war so that he can return the tags he possesses and send “a picture of the local who found them.”“That’s something,” said Charles Kawiecki, adding that he would be happy to receive his father’s old dog tags.According to the National Archives’ World War II Army enlistment records, Kawiecki had a grammar school education and worked as an inspector before joining the military.Genealogist Jeff Walden said that the 1930 Census lists a widower named Mitchell Kawiecki on Union Street who had two sons and a daughter named Freida. One of the sons was Joseph, age 15.Alfreida Kawiecki of Main Street was listed on the lost dog tag as the person to contact if something happened to her brother.Frieda Kawiecki, who lives in Meriden, said Tuesday that she doesn’t remember too much about her brother.Kawiecki signed up as a private in the Connecticut National Guard in February 1941, about 10 months before the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor and plunged the nation into war.Ezebius Kawiecki, called Joe or Whitey by friends, worked at New Departure after the war, loved to fish, married and had two children, his son said.Following his death in 1981, Kawiecki was buried in West Cemetery in Bristol, where he lived his entire life except for the war years. His wife, Maryanna, is buried beside him.The Press is trying to arrange for the return of the dog tags to Charles Kawiecki.

June 23, 2008

Bristol’s lawmakers split along party lines Monday in a successful effort by the General Assembly to override the governor’s veto of a minimum wage hike.“It’s an easy vote for me,” said state Sen. Tom Colapietro, a Bristol Democrat who has represented the 31st District since 1992.Colapietro’s vote in favor of raising the minimum wage was one of 25 in the Senate to override Gov. Jodi Rell’s veto. Twenty four votes were needed for the two-thirds majority required.In the state House, the margin as 102-39, also one vote more than the minimum needed."There's a lot of people that are just barely making ends meet," said state Rep. Frank Nicastro, a Bristol Democrat who favored the override. The rising cost of gas, utilities and food is making it even tougher for working people, he added.The legislature’s decision ensures the current minimum hourly wage of $7.65 an hour rises to $8 beginning in January and to $8.25 an hour in 2010 – which will make it the highest in the country.State Rep. Bill Hamzy, a Plymouth Republican whose 78th District includes part of Bristol, said he returned early from a family trip out of state in hopes of making the vote, but missed it."I would have voted to sustain the governor's veto," said Hamzy.In fact, by not being present to vote to override, said Hamzy, he effectively did the same thing.Hamzy said he's always voted to support increases in the minimum wage, but couldn't do it this time.The state's minimum wage is among the highest in the nation, said Hamzy, which he said is appropriate. But he said increasing the minimum wage from $7.65 to $8 an hour in this economy wasn't the right thing to do."If we do one more thing to increase the cost of doing business in Connecticut, I don't think that's the right thing to do," said Hamzy.Jill Fitzgerald, the Republican seeking to take over departing state Rep. Ron Burns’ 77th District seat, said she is disappointed in the override.“The increase in the minimum wage is going to come back to taxpayers in the form of higher prices for the services that regular folks use,” Fitzgerald said. “This is at a time when our basic needs like groceries and gas are at an all time high.”“I think that this is the type of legislation that, when extrapolated out, has much more of a negative than positive effect on the citizens and employers in our state,” she said.Fitzgerald added that “taxpayers need to beware of these laws that sound like they are working for the people when in reality they just sound good in a headline, but really hurt us in the long run.”Colapietro said that he’s backed higher wages for decades and isn’t about to stop.He said that he doesn’t believe business has lost a single job because of increases to the minimum wage. In fact, he said, unless people start earning more, there won’t be anybody to purchase the goods and services that businesses offer.Colapietro said that the Connecticut Business and Industry Association and the insurance industry “don’t care about anybody but themselves” so they’re always pushing to keep wages down.Nicastro said that sometimes when people are under financial stress and desperate, "they wind up doing things they shouldn't be doing."Raising the minimum wage offers a better way, according to Nicastro, who represents the 79th District."We want people to work," said Nicastro. "We don't want 'em on welfare. We don't want 'em turning to criminal activity."If the nation can send money to other countries to help people there, Nicastro said, surely society can help people at home.Burns, who is not seeking reelection, voted against the minimum wage hike from the start. He could not be reached.Rell called the Democratic-controlled legislature’s decision “seriously short-sighted” and likely to cause higher price, a loss of jobs and more costs for employers."Even as the national economic picture continues to darken, the legislature has opted to further cloud Connecticut's business environment,” Rell said.“ Instead of making the state more business-friendly, instead of encouraging the small businesses that are the single greatest creator of jobs, instead of positioning Connecticut to succeed when the economy once more begins to grow, the legislature has taken a step backward,” the governor said.“A minimum wage increase at this time does little but hurt the families it is intended to help," Rell said in a statement released after the vote.

A few days ago, an Australian contacted the newspaper looking for help to return dog tags found on a South Pacific island to a Bristol man who fought in World Ward II.Harry Jas said he possesses the metal identification tag that belonged to E.J Kawiecki, whose next of kin was listed as Alfrieda Kawiecki 257 Main St. Bristol.The tags apparently belonged to Ezebius J. Kawiecki, who signed up as a private in the Connecticut National Guard in February 1941, about 10 months before the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor and plunged the nation into war.According to the National Archives’ World War II Army enlistment records, Kawiecki had a grammar school education and worked as an inspector before joining the military.Social Security records show he was born in 1915 and died in Bristol in 1981.It’s not clear whether he has any family remaining in the area. Calls to several Kawieckis have not been returned yet.The address listed on the dog tags is for an apartment building across the street from the Main Library.There is no connection to former state Rep. Ed Krawiecki, Jr, who said his family saw service in Africa and Europe during World War II but not in the Pacific against the Japanese.Jas said the dog tags were found on the island of New Georgia in the Solomon Islands, the most famous of which is Guadalcanal, where a major battle was fought between the Americans and Japan.Jas said that he has a dozen tags from U.S. military personnel that were apparently found by people who live on the islands.He said he’s trying to track down relatives or veterans of the war so that he can return the tags and send “a picture of the local who found them.”If anyone has any information about Kawiecki, I’d sure love to hear it. I’d be happy to pass on anything that anyone knows to Jas.

Update on Tuesday, 11 a.m.: A local genealogist, Jeff Walden, found some interesting material.He said that the 1930 Census lists a widower named Mitchell Kawiecki on Union Street who had two sons and a daughter named Freida. One of the sons was Joseph, age 15.It could be, he speculated, that E.J. Kawiecki went by a middle name of Joseph, which is certainly a reasonable guess.So it’s possible that he was known as Joseph or Joe Kawiecki.The Alfreida listed as EJ Kawiecki’s contact on the dog tag might well have been his sister in that case. She was 9 years old in 1930, which would make her about 87 today, if she’s still alive.Any of this help anyone further identify anyone involved?

June 20, 2008

The city is looking at the possibility of constructing a small parking lot for people to use when they visit Pine Lake.The site eyed for the seven-space lot is off Surrey Drive to the west of the pond.“I think that’s a wonderful idea,” said City Councilor Frank Nicastro.Nicastro said the lot would make it easier for residents to use the Forestville park.The Pine Lake Committee is also looking into a dock that would allow handicapped people to fish in the pond. It’s also considering a trail around the pond, though that would take the approval of some private property owners.Leo Bonola, a member of the committee, said the improvements would provide “something for the kids to do” at the park.“It’s something that I think would be really great for families and Forestville,” Bonola said.Nicastro said the state Department of Environmental Protection told him the $150,000 leftover from dredging the pond the pond four years ago can be used to improve the park.The city got $700,000 nearly a decade ago to dredge the pond. It completed the work in 2004 for less than expected.Nicastro said that the parking lot would have two spots for handicapped people and five regular spaces. He said engineers anticipate it would cost about $35,000 if the lot is made of gravel and $56,000 if it’s paved.As it is, Nicastro said, parking near Pine Street is awful.“Right now, you take your life in your hands just pulling in and out of Pine Lake,” said Nicastro, who is also the 79th District’s state representative.Bonola said the “safest and the best” place for a new lot is off Surrey Drive.The Park Board recently gave its unanimous backing to the concept.Pine Lake is located between Birch and Emmett streets. It is bounded on the north by Pine Street and on the south by city-owned swampland.

June 19, 2008

A long-awaited intersection fix at the southern end of Union Street may be underway next month.The $2.5 million project would replace the current intersection of East Road with Union and Wolcott streets in a bid to slow down traffic and make it safer for drivers and children walking to and from nearby South Side School.“It’s going to contribute greatly to the safety of that intersection, which has been very hazardous,” Mayor Art Ward said.State Rep. Frank Nicastro, a Bristol Democrat whose 79th District includes the junction, said, “It needed to be done and now it’s going to come to pass. It’s finally falling into place.”Nicastro called it “one of the most hazardous intersections in the city of Bristol by far.”“When you try to pull out of East Road, it’s a terrible line of sight,” he said.The proposed changes would straighten and flatten the area where the roads come together, removing the buildings that block the way.“It’s going to get a complete new facelift,” Nicastro said.The Cheshire-based Milone & MacBroom got $118,000 from the city to carry out the design work several years ago.The project has been in the works for years, but got bumped up in priority in the late 1990s after more than 250 neighbors submitted petitions to the city asking for quick action to fix the intersection.The Central Connecticut Regional Planning Agency, which targets projects throughout the region to figure out which local road updates are the most important, cited the need to fix the East Road, Union and Wolcott junction as its number one priority in Bristol almost a decade ago.The plan generally calls for shifting the southern end of Union Street to the east so it would intersect only with East Road.East Road alone would run into Wolcott Street, a bit south of the current spot where the three roads come together.The city and state have been targeting misaligned intersections in Bristol for years, trying to fix them where possible.Nicastro, a former mayor, said he’s been checking on the status of the project for a long time.He said he recently got word from the state Department of Transportation that a contract had been awarded and construction may begin in early July.“It’s an intersection that needs to be done,” Nicastro said.The federal government would pay 80 percent of the final tab with the state picking up the rest.The project has been talked about for the last 42 years. Officials said the issue first reached City Hall’s agenda in 1966, when initial maps were made.Nicastro, who also serves on the City Council, said he’s always worried about the children going to school and having to cross the dangerous intersection. “You have to be truly a brave person to be a crossing guard there,” Nicastro said.

For those interested in what's going on with the parent company of The Bristol Press, here's Deborah Yao's story for The Associated Press:

Philadelphia - Struggling newspaper publisher Journal Register Co. is considering several offers to buy or invest in the company, a major shareholder said Wednesday.Richard Barone, chairman of The Ancora Group in Cleveland, said he met with the company a few weeks ago to discuss his own offer to buy a 70 percent to 90 percent stake for $25 million."They're going to give it consideration," Barone told the Associated Press on Wednesday. "They've had other offers and they're going to look at all these different options."Messages left for representatives of Journal Register were not returned.The company owns 22 daily newspapers, including The (Lorain) Morning Journal and The (Willoughby) News-Herald in Ohio, and 312 nondaily publications. Like many newspaper owners, it has struggled with declining advertising revenue. In April, the company's stock was delisted from the New York Stock Exchange because its stock price fell below required limits for listing.In the first quarter, Journal Register's revenue fell by 10 percent to $102.4 million. The company incurred a net loss of $72.2 million, or $1.84 per share, mainly because of a writedown related to its Michigan and New York publications. A year ago, it posted a profit of $29.1 million, or 74 cents per share.Shares of Journal Register rose 2 cents to 22 cents Wednesday. The market value of the company's outstanding shares stood at $8.66 million.On May 12, Barone sent a letter to Journal Register's chief executive, James Hall, with his proposal. He said he later met with Hall and the company's investment banker to discuss the deal. Barone expects Journal Register to make a decision about its options by the end of the month.Barone said the company has $645 million in bank debt, "which they will not be able to service by the first quarter of next year. Something has to be done between now and then."Barone's investment depends upon a restructuring of the company's bank debt. Without it, he said, he is not interested in pursuing a majority stake.If his investment goes through, Barone expects to keep the company public and retain current management to run the business since he has no direct publishing experience. He also would look into selling unprofitable publications."There are buyers for these that are not strictly financial buyers. They want to obviously break even but are not necessarily focused on profitability," Barone said. "The issue is, they like owning the property."In spite of the newspaper industry's ailing fortunes, it's "not going to die," he said. "It looks like it's dying, but there's [always] going to be newspapers."

I should add that I have absolutely no knowledge of what goes on with the company. There is certainly a chance that the Press could be sold, either as part of an overall sale of the entire company or as a separate deal. There's also a chance the building on Main Street could be sold to help raise money.I should explain, too, that as far as I can tell, the Press makes money. It's just that the company as a whole has more debt that it can handle.I hope for the community's sake that whatever happens, there's still a paper at the end of the day. A city without a paper is doomed to perpetual ignorance of municipal affairs, a truly sad situation.

Mayor Art Ward said today that he's already signed the petition to have the chief operating officer proposal reach the ballot box on November 4.Ward said he wants to give people the chance to vote against the idea.A petition drive kicks off Saturday when supporters of the plan begin their effort to round up more than 3,000 signatures to force the city to put the Charter Revision Commission's recommendation on the ballot.Ward voted against it when the council shot down the concept on a 5-2 vote, but signed the petition anyway because he's interested to see if there's enough support to get it on the ballot.

June 18, 2008

Fixing the badly damaged “Hiker” statue that stood on Memorial Boulevard will likely take at least a few months and cost more than $15,000, officials said Wednesday.The repairs to the vandalized bronze statue will take “a good two months to do,” said Park Director Ed Swicklas.But it will also take awhile to figure out where to send the sculpture, official said.For now, the Spanish-American Ward soldier that vandals mauled last weekend is in storage at Page Park, Swicklas said.Police have made finding the culprits their number one priority, Mayor Art Ward said.Ward said that criticism of the police for failing to protect the soldier is misplaced. He said officers can’t be everywhere all the time.He said that with all the foliage in the area, it’s easy for someone to hide.Swicklas said that two foundries, one in Bridgeport and one in New York, have taken a look at the pictures of the ransacked statue.One said it would cost at least $15,000 to fix it, Swicklas said. The other told him it would take “many, many hours and many, many dollars.”It may help, the park director said, that Bristol has another of the 52 copies of the statue that stand across America. The twin at the entrance to Rockwell Park could be used to make casts of particularly damaged sections so they can be copied, he said.The parks have seen a spate of vandalism in recent months, including the spray painting of the inside of the pool at Rockwell Park, which was repainted last week in time for its opening Wednesday.But there hasn’t been much damage lately, officials said, though two soccer nets were swiped at Rockwell Park this week.Al Cianchetti, a resident who has championed the boulevard, said he wants to see the city “do everything possible” to catch the criminals who damaged the statue.“Hopefully, we’ll be able to catch the scum that did it and charge ‘em,” said Lori DeFillippi, a parks commissioner.He also urged park officials to take steps to beef up security on the boulevard, including the installation of cameras that might help protect the memorials and monuments that line the historic parkway.Swicklas said it might be possible to add more lighting in the future that might help keep people from bothering the statue in the future.

A $1,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone responsible for the vandalism of a Memorial Boulevard statue last weekend.The Bristol Veterans Council has solicited pledges from donors to pay tipsters who can help the police track down the culprits who mauled “The Hiker,” a bronze Spanish-American War soldier that has stood guard on the boulevard since 1983, when it was donated to the city to honor World War II veterans.Mayor Art Ward said that anyone who wishes to add to the reward fund can send checks made out to the veterans council to his office. They will be forwarded to the group, he said.Money donated to the fund will be used for the reward or potentially for the cost of repairing and protecting the statue, officials said.Ward said the veterans group is doing “a great big favor” by serving as a conduit for the reward cash.If the city itself offered a reward, state open government laws would make it possible for someone to identify anyone who collects reward money, officials said.But the veterans council can pay out the cash anonymously so that tracing the tipster would be impossible, Ward said.Pat Nelligan, a parks commissioner who heads the veterans council, said the group is seeking pledges for the reward money rather than collecting cash. He said it already has $1,000 in pledges rounded up.Ward said he got a $25 check at his office today to add to the total.The mayor said he hopes that when the police catch the vandals who did more than $15,000 in damage to the statue that it will turn out that adults were responsible.That way, he said, the court proceedings against them will be public and people can make sure that a harsh sentence is imposed.In recent years, police have caught vandals involved in several high-profile cases, but they have been minors whose identities were kept secret and whose punishments by a juvenile court are unknown.

I asked Republican congressional candidate Joe Visconti of West Hartford what he thought of U.S. Rep. John Larson's press release on oil drilling. Here's what Visconti sent back a few minutes ago:

I am on the run but just saw your email and Larson's press release. His quote of "For seven years he has allowed speculators to run rampant in the energy markets. It is time for that to end.” refering to the President is hysterical because if the President has done this than so has he and the Democrats who have controlled the House and Senate since 06. Larson continues to show up late with a note from Pelosi saying the dog ate my homework. Larson also says it will take ten years to get any oil from ANWAR, well John you have held office for 10 years now and just had a ten year celebration, just what were you celebrating, 10 years of Blocking Domestic Oil Exploration and Drilling?

Washington and Larson need to stop playing pin the tail on the donkey, take off the blindfolds and promote a comprehensive Energy plan which includes more Domestic Drilling NOW, more Clean and Safe Nuclear Planning NOW both of which will require vast amounts of private and public short and long term investment.

A new press release from U.S. Rep. John Larson, the East Hartford Democrat whose 1st District includes Bristol:Today, Democrats in Congress reacted strongly to the President’s call to increase offshore drilling for oil. Congressman John B. Larson (CT-01) ¸Vice Chair of the Democratic Caucus, said:“President Bush’s attempt to politicize the oil crisis that is wreaking havoc on average American’s ability to make ends meet is uncalled for and poorly informed. Time and again we have shown that more drilling for oil will do nothing to lower the prices at the pump for the millions of people who are suffering today. In fact, drilling in the Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge will not produce a drop of oil for ten years. And even after waiting ten years for, the drilling won’t lower gas prices by more than a few pennies per gallon.“The President’s speech was nothing but a gift to his friends at the big oil companies. And, it is these oil companies who already have rights to drill for 70% of the oil on the Outer Continental Shelf. They have leases to drill on 40 million acres of offshore land, yet they have put only 7 million acres into production. Why should we open more lands to oil exploration, when oil companies are not utilizing the lands they have? This is part of a trend of stockpiling leases to control oil prices and this New Direction Congress can not support it.“The President should keep his focus on ways we can actually lower prices and help American families today. For seven years he has allowed speculators to run rampant in the energy markets. It is time for that to end.”Here's an Associated Press story about President Bush's comments on oil drilling.

June 17, 2008

A petition drive is getting underway aimed at making it possible for the public decide whether to create a chief operating officer at City Hall.Following a City Council vote on Monday to reject the idea, two backers of the position, veteran Democratic city Councilor Craig Minor and rookie Republican Councilor Ken Cockayne, said they plan to lead a bipartisan drive to secure the needed petitions.Among those joining the effort is former GOP mayoral contender Ken Johnson, who accused Mayor Art Ward and the four councilors who opposed the plan of displaying “the height of hypocrisy” in refusing to give people the chance to choose their form of government. “I congratulate Mr. Minor and Mr. Cockayne for having the courage to stick to their convictions and I am proud to join them in a bi-partisan effort to right this wrong,” Johnson said.To overturn the 5-2 council decision, backers need to round up more than 3,000 signatures from registered voters within 45 days. If they can pull it off, the charter revision proposal will automatically make the November 4 ballot.Organizers seeking to let voters decide whether to create a chief operating officer in Bristol have scheduled a kick-off rally from 1 to 3 p.m. on Saturday in the Sovereign Bank parking lot on North Main Street.“We’re going to generally have a festive atmosphere. There will be clipboards with lots of petitions,” Minor said Tuesday.Backers say the post would bring more long-term planning and efficiency to municipal government, saving more money than the relatively small tab for a new office in city government.Critics say the job isn’t needed and will cost taxpayers more at a time when Bristol is already struggling to hold down taxes and pare spending.Two other proposals from the charter panel – to increase the terms of office for the registrars and assistant city clerk from two to four years – will be on the ballot following a unanimous thumbs-up from councilors.Opposing the chief operating officer plan were Mayor Art Ward and Councilors Cliff Block, Mike Rimcoski, Kevin McCauley and Frank Nicastro. Rimcoski is a Republican. The rest are Democrats.

Update - Minor sent a press release out shortly before midnight Tuesday. Here it is:

One Republican and one Democrat City Councilman are conducting a petition signing event this Saturday, June 21 from 1 pm to 3 pm outside Sovereign Bank on the corner of North Main Street and North Street in downtown Bristol.

Ken Cockayne (R, Second Council District) and Craig Minor (D, Third Council District) are joining forces to give Bristol voters the chance to decide on the “Chief Operating Officer” position recommended by the Charter Revision Commission. The proposal was shot down by the City Council at a special meeting on Monday, June 16 on a 5-2 vote. State law gives the COO a second chance, but only if its supporters can collect enough signatures within 45 days.

"I feel very strongly that this is an issue that people should get to decide," Cockayne said.“Instead of the select few of us seven on the City Council, the choice should be made by city voters come November.”

Under Connecticut state law, the organizers have 45 days from June 16 to collect signatures from 10% of all registered voters in Bristol. They estimate that number to be just under 3,100. The wording of the petition was carefully developed by the committee to make sure it will pass muster with City Clerk Therese Pac and Corporation Counsel Dale Clift. “We don’t want a repeat of what happened several years ago, when a group of citizens wanted to amend the charter to require voter approval of certain “big ticket” items, but went about it wrongly” Councilmember Minor said. “We checked the state statutes to make sure the wording is right, and we’re going to make sure our signature-collectors know that the person signing the petition is a registered voter in Bristol.”

Registered voters who want to help collect signatures can contact Craig Minor (582-1061 or craigmm@aol.com) or Ken Cockayne (584-5918).

Experts who have seen photographs of the damaged “Hiker” statue vandalized on Memorial Boulevard last weekend have told city officials that fixing it will be costly.One foundry said it will “take many hours” and a lot of work to repair the damage to the historic statue dedicated to the veterans of World War II, said Park Director Ed Swicklas.Swicklas said that the bronze statue was removed from its base Tuesday and put into storage until the city decides where to send it for repairs. It was held on by only four bolts, he said, and wasn’t hard to take off.While police continue to probe the vandalism discovered Saturday morning, state Sen. Tom Colapietro, a Bristol Democrat, said that catching metal thieves may be a lot easier because of new legislation he championed this year.Colapietro, who represents the 31st District, called the mauling of the statue “disgusting” and expressed hope that police would soon catch the culprits.The Park Board is likely to discuss the vandalism during its 6 p.m. meeting tonight at City Hall.Swicklas has sent photographs of the statue to at least two foundries that could be asked to repair the damage. The tab is likely to be more than $15,000 – perhaps much more.Though it isn’t clear whether the statue was damaged as a prank or if thieves had planned to steal it for scrap metal, Colapietro said a new law he pushed at the request of a Bristol detective should help police trying to keep up with criminals who are taking metals all over the state.The senator said that thieves have snatched drain pipes off a Cheshire church, plaques off of graves and more."They're stealing anything that weighs anything," Colapietro said, even beer kegs, which are worth about $50 after they've been chopped up for the metal.To combat the problem, the law that Colapietro championed requires scrap dealers to take pictures of the license plates of anyone bringing in metal to sell and to record what they brought.The legislation requires scrap metal processors to record certain information for all loads of scrap metal purchased or received, including a description, the weight, the price paid for the load and the identification of the person who delivered the load.It requires scrap metal processors, junk dealers or junkyard owners to immediately notify their municipal law enforcement of the name, if known, and motor vehicle license plate, if available, of any person offering to sell a bronze statue, plaque, historical marker, cannon, cannon ball, bell, lamp, lighting fixture, lamp post, architectural artifact or similar item."That makes it a lot easier to catch" those swiping the material, the senator said.It should also slow the number of thefts, he said."If you can't sell it, there's no sense stealing it," Colapietro said.

Organizers seeking to let voters decide whether to create a chief operating officer in Bristol have scheduled a kick-off rally from 1 to 3 p.m. on Saturday in the Sovereign Bank parking lot on North Main Street.They need to get slightly more than 3,000 registered voters to sign petitions calling for the referendum within the next 45 days.There's no word yet on what to expect at the rally. Dancing bears and fireworks are unlikely.

In a note to the city's legislative delegation this morning, Mayor Art Ward had this to say:

Good morning - just heard about the potential for the creation of a new "Bus Path" being considered by the state to enhance mass transportation. It is proposed to run from the New Britain/Newington area to Hartford.The state is conducting a public hearing on the subject tonight at Union Station in HartfordNow that Bristol will have greater accessibility, with the completion of Route 72, this might be a superb opportunity for the state to consider the inclusion of Bristol in this project. I would appreciate any/all information on this idea and ask that the Bristol legislative delegation research the potential for Bristol becoming a part of this project.For more information, see the Central Connecticut Regional Planning Agency's Busway West sitehere and the Connecticut Busway site here.The Federal Transit Administration's bus transit site here.

Finally, here's a story I wrote in March 2004:

The number of Bristol commuters who use buses may double when the proposed busway between New Britain and Hartford opens in 2007.The increased reliance on buses “will have a big impact” in Bristol, said Don Padlo, a longtime public works commissioner.“It has the potential of alleviating a lot of traffic,” Padlo said, as drivers decide they can do without “this hassle on the highways.”Officials are already planning more bus routes to bring from Bristol to and from the busway station in downtown New Britain. They’re also eyeing more commuter lots, bicycle paths and other improvements to make it easier to take advantage of the new transportation option.Joe Barbeau, transportation coordinator for the Central Connecticut Regional Planning Agency, said a bus route that swings into Plymouth is also a possibility.The 9.4-mile busway is a state Department of Transportation initiative to try to reduce the growing volume of cars and trucks clogging the interstate between Southington and Hartford. Plans call for it to run alongside the rail line from New Britain to Hartford, with as many as 12 stations along the way.The new road would be accessible only to buses – though there’s some talk of a bicycle path as well – that could speed commuters through the congested corridor, making it an attractive option for at least some drivers who are tired of tackling the traffic.“It’s a step in the right direction,” said Theodore Scheidel, Burlington’s first selectman and CCRPA board member. “It’s good for New Britain and Bristol.”“It’s another sincere effort to get the cars off the highway,” he said.Padlo said many people are tired of “the daily stress and traffic tie-ups” along Interstate 84.Planners say that the number of commuters who take the bus from Bristol to reach jobs in Hartford may rise from 350 to more than 750 once the busway is operating.“Obviously, it creates a great demand for parking,” Barbeau said.The state is eliminating the Todd Street commuter parking lot because the $31 million Route 72 extension is going to plow right through it within a couple of years. A new lot is going to be built near Aldi grocery store.But there’s not enough space for the expected number of commuters, Barbeau said.He said planners are considering renting parking spaces from city churches to provide commuters with somewhere to park to take the buses from Bristol to the new busway.Barbeau said there may be mini-transportation hubs created in downtown Bristol, at the commuter lot by Aldi and perhaps in Plainville. Bus routes could come together at the mini-hubs, he said.He said officials need to consider whether there’s a need for benches, shelters, sidewalks or other amenities at the small hubs. The idea, Barbeau said, is to make sure people feel safe and secure at the sites.“It’s really a broad focus that we have,” he said.Planners are considering new bus routes in connection to the busway that might extend buses to Cyrpress Street, Stonecrest Drive, Jewel Street and other areas where they’ve identified a possible need.Barbeau said there is “some interest” in having a bus line run to the Plymouth Industrial Park as well. But, he said, there are “no resources” for it now.The state is looking into having four busways running in and out of Hartford, with the New Britain busway slated to come first. It is supposed to open early in 2007.Other busways on the drawing table include one from Hartford to Manchester, one from the capital to Bradley Airport and one that runs south of the city.For more information about the busway project, check out www.ctrapidtransit.com and www.ccrpa.org/transport.htm.

June 16, 2008

The city should build the new K-8 school on the former mall property if it wants to bring people downtown, developer George Carpenter said.Carpenter showed up at the Bristol Downtown Development Corp. meeting Monday and offered his perspective on the property and the economy.He said a school will bring children and their parents downtown. Senior developments will help, too, Carpenter said.Once the people are there, it will be easier to get retailers to consider that area, according to Carpenter.Carpenter, who owns many properties downtown, said he has no interest in the failed, 17-acre city-owned mall site because of the overall economy. He said he already gave it a shot."We tried to get tenants to move there for years," said Carpenter. "We negotiated to buy it and had no luck."The recession, said Carpenter, wont' go away easily because of "stagflation.""It's not going to last a year," said Carpenter, but rather "at least" two.Nations like India, China, Brazil and Russia are growing fast and demanding development.Especially China, said Carpenter, will be investing in new construction after the devastating earthquake."It's going to cost us a lot of money," said Carpenter. "They have our dollars. We buy from China. We buy from India. We buy from Russia. We buy from Brazil. Our dollars are devaluating."Retailers like Wal-Mart, if forced to make a choice between building in China and building in Bristol, are going to pick China, Carpenter said, where the people are so poor that they're thrilled to get anything."The Cold War went away. It's now a world economy," said Carpenter. "You're fighting with the rest of the world for retail."While waiting for the economic tide to turn, said Carpenter, the BDDC should make sure that the sprawling former mall site doesn't hurt the other businesses and residents downtown."I don't want dust on my property," said Carpenter. "Pave the property. Put some trees on it."

It's back to the drawing board for the failed mall property.The Bristol Downtown Development Corp. voted Monday to reject the only two proposals for the 17-acre city-owned site and start again.Board Chairman Frank Johnson said the BDDC spent plenty on advertising, but never expected the economic downturn that seems to have slowed a lot of development."The market went south," said BDDC board member John Leone. "We just hit the recession."Timing is everything, several board members said.Leone said the recession is supposed to last a year, and we're already six months into it. But he admitted it could take longer to find the right developer."It may be three years," said Leone. "This is a great piece of property in the heart of downtown Bristol."Leone said the proposal from Cielo Real Estate Investment Group of California, which was on behalf of Heritage Financial Services of Florida "doesn't meet the criteria."But Leone said Cielo should be welcome to return with a revised proposal.BDDC attorney David Sheridan agreed. He said Cielo understands what the city wants, but didn't complete the application."They're encouraged to submit again," said Sheridan, "cause they get it."Johnson said it could be Heritage Financial's mode of operating to come in with an early bid and see what happens, but he said there's not enough in their proposal to make a decision about it. He said the BDDC will never know unless they ask Heritage Financial."The one thing I did find interesting and exciting was the rendering," said Johnson, who said the nicely done map that came with the Heritage Financial proposal had everything, from a range of retail stores to offices and residential units complete with swimming pools and putting greens on the rooftops."From a concept point of view, that's the idea," said Johnson, that the BDDC is looking for. "It included the kind of mixed uses we wanted to see."But Johnson also said that Heritage Financial didn't answer 10 of the 14 questions that were required as part of the proposal, especially those relating to finances.Others on the board seemed skeptical of the drawing."They gave us a pretty little map," said Jennifer Janelle, a BDDC board member. "The map is fantastic, but it's a drawing. It doesn't mean anything."She said the other response, from landscaping firm CenterPlan Development Co. – which was more of an offer to do work on the project than a proposal to take it on – offered references, while Heritage Financial did not.Tom Cosgrove, a BDDC board member, said anyone could hire an artist to make a beautiful map."I saw nothing in the proposal that made me feel confident they could execute that map. I don't want to sound negative," said Cosgrove, but "you gotta do more than draw a map.""What we got is a wish list of what we would like," said Wright.Gardner Wright, another BDDC board member, said the projects done by Heritage Financial are "mostly campground sites selling time shares." He said he doesn't think the board is interested in dealing with a developer who is going to "flip the property."The board decided to hold their July meeting like a workshop and put ideas on the table and make a plan for moving ahead.

I can only speak for myself, of course, but already I'm feeling a little glum that the Millionaire Maker, the Get-Rich-Quick Real Estate investment pro,the man who wanted to transform the failed mall site into a glorious renaissance center of waterfalls, pricey shops and period vendors, the Florida dreamer who saw a chance in Bristol to add to his growing empire of fishing resorts, oil wells and golf courses, has been given a big thumbs-down by the cold-hearted officials of the Bristol Downtown Development Corp., who not only failed to share his dream but, when they had a chance to leap aboard, opted not to dream, but perchance to sleep.Ah, well, goodbye, Ron Legrand and your amazing vision for a transformative future. I trust that your many other ventures will prove more profitable than this little foray into the Mum City.

Former -- and future? -- Republican mayoral candidate Ken Johnson just send this along about the chief operating officer vote tonight:

Ken Johnson announced that he is joining forces with City Councilmen Ken Cockayne and Craig Minor to launch a bipartisan petition drive to put the City Manager/Chief Operating Officer issue on the November ballot.

The Bristol City Council voted 5 – 2 on Monday against a proposal to put the question of hiring a City Manager before the people. A Charter Revision Commission, formed in 2007, recommended the City change the form of Bristol’s City government to include a professional city manager with the title of Chief Operating Officer (COO) to oversee the day to day operations of the City.

Said Johnson, “For the mayor and four city councilmen to refuse to allow the people who put them in office the opportunity to choose their form of government is the height of hypocrisy. I congratulate Mr. Minor and Mr. Cockayne for having the courage to stick to their convictions and I am proud to join them in a bi-partisan effort to right this wrong.”

Johnson had proposed a package of government reforms, including the hiring of a city manager, as a key cornerstone of his bid for the Mayor’s chair in 2007. He continued to champion the issue even after he fell short in his election bid.

“People are fed up with the way things are run in Bristol and deserve to have their voices heard.” Johnson said. “Our ballot initiative will give people that chance.”

City councilors once again rejected a proposal Monday to create a chief operating officer at City Hall.The 5-2 refusal to back the Charter Revision Commission’s call to establish the top administrative position effectively kills it unless supporters can round up the necessary signatures to force a referendum on the issue this fall.The two backers of the idea, veteran Democratic city Councilor Craig Minor and rookie Republican Councilor Ken Cockayne, said they plan to lead a bipartisan drive to secure the needed petitions.They have 45 days to pull it off.But charter commissioners, businessman Craig Yarde and others have promised to help keep the plan on the front burner.Backers say the post would bring more long-term planning and efficiency to municipal government, saving more money than the relatively small tab for a new office in city government.Critics say the job isn’t needed and will cost taxpayers more at a time when Bristol is already struggling to hold down taxes and pare spending.Two other proposal from the charter panel – to increase the terms of office for the registrars and assistant city clerk from two to four years – will be on the November 4 general election ballot following a unanimous thumbs-up from councilors.Opposing the chief operating officer plan were Mayor Art Ward and Councilors Cliff Block, Mike Rimcoski, Kevin McCauley and Frank Nicastro.

What should Steve do if the Press closes?

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Poll results

With two polls completed now, we know that I should try to get a job as an ambassador and that most Bristol residents will get their news from the bar gossip at the American Legion hall if the Press closes.